Chuck Sweeny: Following the money in Winnebago County sheriff’s race

Who’s giving money in the Winnebago County sheriff’s race? Both Republicans and Democrats have primary elections Tuesday to select nominees to replace outgoing Sheriff Dick Meyers.

Five candidates are running in the Democratic primary. Two are running in the Republican primary. We won’t know exactly how much money these men have raised until after the election, but we do know from reports on file with the State Board of Elections how much they had on hand at the beginning of 2014 and who contributed it and how many contributions of $1,000 or more they have received since. The information reflects what I found Wednesday at elections.il.gov.

The Democrats

Bob Springer, a retired deputy chief in the Sheriff’s Department, began the year with $4,100, most of it from a loan by the candidate. Springer has received $2,000 from the Harlem Democratic League; $20,000 in three contributions from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 364 political action committee; $7,000 in two contributions from Sunil Puri, owner of First Rockford Group; and $1,000 from Holgier Oksnevad.

Bob Redmond, a retired Rockford police sergeant, began 2014 with $11,861.88. Redmond has received $5,000 from the Illinois Laborers Legislative Committee; $5,000 from the North Central Illinois Laborers District Council political action committee; $5,000 from the Laborers Local 32 PAC and $1,000 from Thomas Dal Santo.

Glenn Heidenreich, former Navy SEAL and a sergeant in the Sheriff’s Department, began 2014 with no money. Heidenreich’s contributions are: $200 from William Maschke; $50 from J.E. Olivencia; $500 from MAC Realty; $500 from Rockford Processing Solutions and $400 from the candidate and his wife.

I could find no campaign filing for Jeffrey Schroeder, retired senior sergeant in the Sheriff’s Department. A woman at the elections board said candidates are not required to file a contribution report until they have raised at least $5,000. They can file a report if they choose, though.

Randal Olson, a former Pecatonica police officer and deputy commander of the air support unit of the Winthrop Harbor Police Department, began 2014 with no contributions on file; since then Olson has contributed a total of $25,000 to his campaign in three donations.

The Republicans

Gary Caruana, former corrections and patrol officer with the Sheriff’s Department, retired in 2012 as the corporate security manager of United Parcel Service in Illinois. His campaign had $18,710.90 on hand at the beginning of 2014. Since then, Caruana has received $5,001.46 from A & T Lawn Care and Landscaping for yard signs.

Frank Pobjecky, a U.S. Army veteran who has spent six years with the Sheriff’s Department, had $3,579.30 on hand at the beginning of 2014, including a $3,000 donation from Casey’s Pub on Dec. 30. Other large donations on file since then: $1,000 from James Tuneberg, $2,890 from “Meridian” for signs; and $1,500 from Lino’s for food for a fundraiser.

Map amendment update

Don’t forget, the Rockford office of the Yes for Independent Maps campaign opens Thursday with an open house at 6 p.m. at 123 N. Alpine Road. The office will be staffed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week and will have petitions to sign and distribute and a notary public to certify them.

Petitions also are available in Rockford at Benson Stone, 1100 11th St., J.R. Kortman, 107 N. Main St., and in Belvidere at The Edge Fitness, 305 Southtowne Drive.

The campaign must get at least 298,000 valid signatures by May 4 to put a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot. If passed, the amendment would take partisan politics out of the drawing of legislative district maps.

Dillard update

GOP candidate for governor Kirk Dillard was in the Forest City on Wednesday to speak at Sen. Dave Syverson’s luncheon.

Dillard, state senator from DuPage County and one of four candidates for the GOP nomination in Tuesday’s election, told me, “I’m feeling great about the way the momentum’s going in this race. It’s now between me and (Bruce) Rauner.”

I think that may be true because of all of the anti-Dillard ads now flooding computers and TV sets. Dillard picked up endorsements Wednesday from four local county board chairmen: Scott Christiansen of Winnebago, Bob Walberg of Boone, Bill Hadley of Stephenson and Kim Gouker of Ogle. And after months of Rauner’s TV ads, Dillard now has started to bombard the airwaves with his own, positive ads, including one featuring former Gov. Jim Edgar. Dillard was Edgar’s chief of staff.